Boulos holds Misurata talks on political settlement

US presidential adviser for Arab and African affairs Massad Boulos said he discussed Washington’s support for Libyan efforts to build consensus around a path leading to national elections during talks with municipal leaders in Misurata.

In a post on X, Boulos said he was pleased to meet Misurata’s municipal leaders for the first time and hear their aspirations for Libya’s future.

He reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Libyan efforts to achieve unity, prosperity and lasting peace.

“In Misurata, the discussion of ideas is part of the social fabric, and these elected leaders understand first-hand what it takes to hold successful municipal elections in Libya,” Boulos said.

“We discussed full US support for Libyan efforts to reach consensus on a path that can also lead to successful national elections.”

Boulos visited Misurata on Tuesday, where he met political, security and community figures as part of consultations aimed at gathering local views on possible approaches to addressing Libya’s continuing political and security crisis.

Misurata leaders reject militarisation of the state

Following the meeting, elders and community leaders in Misurata reaffirmed their rejection of any course that could lead to the “militarisation of the state”.

They said any solution to Libya’s crisis should be pursued within a clear constitutional framework, rather than through what they described as a narrow political settlement, arrangements that could reproduce the existing crisis, or efforts to promote figures they considered lacking in integrity.

In a statement, the Misurata representatives also called on Boulos to present the terms of the initiative he is pursuing, or provide a written draft that could be reviewed and discussed.

According to their account of the meeting, Boulos said no written initiative or specific provisions had yet been drawn up.

He said the current phase was focused on listening to Libya’s different parties and collecting their views and proposals, adding that any areas of agreement on principles and broader visions would form the basis of an initiative to be developed at a later stage.